Short Story A short story typically takes the form of a brief fictional work, usually written in prose. The earliest precursors to the short story can be found in the oral storytelling tradition, as well as episodes from ancient Mediterranean epics, such as 'The Epic of Gilgamesh' and Homer's 'Iliad.' Anecdotes, fables, fairy tales, and parables are all examples of the oral storytelling tradition that helped to shape the short story, such as 'The Painting of the Dog and His Reflection' from 'Aesop's Fables'. By the 14 th century, the most well-known stories included One Thousand and One Nights (Middle Eastern folk tales by multiple authors, later known as Arabian Nights ) Short stories are usually between 1,600 to 20,000 words long. Edgar Allen Poe suggested they should take 30 minutes to two hours to read. They focus on one main subject or theme, which can range from everyday activities to thrilling ghost tales. Short stories usually